Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, the legendary pop culture icon, celebrated her 42nd birthday on September 4. 

Beyoncé’s birthday was an opportunity for her fans to reflect on her remarkable career and her indelible mark on the world of music, entertainment, and pop culture. 

Because of Them We Can, an online site for celebrating black excellence, curated 42 achievements by Queen Bey, stating, “From setting Billboard chart records to her seemingly endless award nominations and wins, Beyoncé continues to influence the culture in a major way…”

Over the years, Beyoncé has achieved numerous historic milestones and made history in the following ways:

1. In 2002,  Beyoncé became the first female artist to have her first seven studio albums certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
2. In 2003, she  became the first female artist to have an album and single simultaneously top the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts with “Dangerously in Love” and “Crazy in Love.”
3. In 2006, Beyoncé became the first singer and first non-model or non-athlete to cover the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
4. In 2010, Beyoncé became the first female artist to win six Grammys in one night.
5. In 2011, she became the first female artist to headline the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival.
6. In 2013, Beyoncé became the first female artist to sell over 1 million digital copies of an album in one week with her self-titled album “Beyoncé.”
7. In 2013, Beyoncé’s “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” became the highest-grossing tour of that year, grossing over $229 million.
8. In 2016, Beyoncé became the first female artist to have 12 or more songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time with her album “Lemonade.”
9. In 2017, Beyoncé became the most-liked photo of that year with her pregnancy announcement.

10. In 2018, she became the first woman to have three albums surpass a billion streams on Spotify.
11. In 2020, Beyoncé became just the second solo artist to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades.
12. In 2022, she extended her record as the first female artist to have all seven of her studio albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
13. In 2022, Beyoncé became the first female artist with at least 20 top 10 singles as a solo artist and at least 10 top 10 singles as a member of a group.
14. In 2022, she extended her record as the most-awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history, with 29 awards.
15. In 2022, Beyoncé set the all-time record for the most Grammy Award nominations for a female artist, with 88 nominations.
16. In 2023, she set the all-time record for the most Grammy Awards won by an artist, with 32 Grammys.
17. In 2023, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance World Tour” became the highest-grossing tour by any Black artist ever.
18. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the most wins in NAACP Image Awards history, with 21 wins as a solo artist.
19. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the most shows by a solo act performed at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, with the “Renaissance World Tour.”
20. In 2023, Beyoncé set a record for the biggest attendance for a female solo act in the history of BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
21. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the biggest attendance for a female solo act in the history of King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
22. In 2023, Beyoncé became the first female act to sell out two shows on a single tour at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
23. In 2023, Beyoncé broke the Amazon Music record for first-day merch sales from an artist collaboration.
24. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the highest-grossing tour from a Black artist in Boxscore history for the “Renaissance World Tour.”
25. In 2023, Beyoncé became the first female act to headline a concert at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
26. In 2023, Beyoncé became the first Black act to headline a concert at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
27. In 2023, Beyoncé became the most awarded artist in BET Awards history, with 36 awards in total.
28. In 2023, Beyoncé became the first artist ever to win the American Music Award for Tour of the Year.
29. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the most wins in BET Awards’ Video of the Year category, with her now having six wins.

30. In 2023, Beyoncé became the first female act to headline a concert at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”

31. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the most shows by a solo act performed at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, with the “Renaissance World Tour.”
32. In 2023, Beyoncé set a record for the biggest attendance for a female solo act in the history of BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
33. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the biggest attendance for a female solo act in the history of King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
34. In 2023, Beyoncé became the first female act to sell out two shows on a single tour at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, with her “Renaissance World Tour.”
35. In 2023, Beyoncé broke the Amazon Music record for first-day merch sales from an artist collaboration.
36. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the highest-grossing tour from a Black artist in Boxscore history for the “Renaissance World Tour.”
37. In 2023, Beyoncé set the record for the most wins in NAACP Image Awards history, with 21 wins as a solo artist.
38. In 2023, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance World Tour” became the highest-grossing tour by any Black artist ever.
39. In 2023, she set the all-time record for the most Grammy Awards won by an artist, with 32 Grammys.
40. In 2022, she extended her record as the most-awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history, with 29 awards.
41. In 2022, Beyoncé became the first female artist with at least 20 top 10 singles as a solo artist and at least 10 top 10 singles as a member of a group.
42. In 2022, she extended her record as the first female artist to have all seven of her studio albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

These historic achievements highlight Beyoncé’s incredible impact and influence in music and entertainment throughout her illustrious career.